Avon View Avalanche win exciting home opener by a single point

A Millwood Knights player gets surrounded by AV’s defence before being taken down.

WINDSOR, N.S. - The Avon View Avalanche are now 2-1 on the season following their heart-stopping 28-27 win over the Millwood Knights in their 2017 home opener on Sunday, Sept 24.

The Avalanche scoring began with a one-yard quarterback rush by Jack Sheehan, the first of his two touchdowns on the afternoon and two of four scored by the Avalanche.

On the point after attempt, the Avalanche were looking for a single point and ended up with a two point convert after a high snap was corralled by Tyler Eddy, who then completed a short pass to kicker Devin Bryan for the two point conversion and an 8-0 Avalanche lead.

Millwood struck back on a huge 40-yard rush and a convert to narrow the Avalanche lead to a single point at 8-7. Defensively Sami Whidden hauled down a huge interception on a long pass by Millwood to prevent a touchdown.

Joe MacDonald was solid on the ground for the Avalanche, when it appeared on one rush that he was trapped by the Millwood defence, but he shook off all but two players and gained an additional five yards before finally being stopped.

The Avalanche fumbled a couple of times in the first half but Millwood could not turn them into any points.

A large crowd of onlookers cheers on both teams during the home opener for the Avon View Avalanche football team on Sept. 24, 2017.

Close second half

In the second half, Millwood scored a pair of TD’s early and converted one on a kick to put them up 20-8 before Avon View Quarterback Devin Bryan threw a 10-yard pass to Jack Sheehan for his second touchdown of the game and followed that up with a second pass to Sheehan who barely managed to stay in bounds for the two point convert making it 20-16 Millwood.

The Knights then answered back on another huge rushing touchdown and they added a single point convert for a 27-16 lead.

With the third quarter drawing to a close, Avon View drove down the field and they were at Millwood’s one-yard line when the whistle blew to start the fourth quarter.

Avon View’s Devin Bryan dove over from the one-yard line to begin the final quarter, but failed on the convert to make the score Millwood 27 Avon View 22.

With the clock winding down, Tyler Eddy caught a 30-yard pass from Devin Bryan as the Avalanche took a one-point lead 28-27 after they failed on the convert.

A Millwood Knights player tackles an Avon View Avalanche player during the Avalanche’s home opener in Windsor on Sept. 24, 2017.

Tension remained in the air in the final few minutes as Millwood began a march on their own 20-yard line but were stopped by the Avalanche defence after getting down to their own 50.

Avon View took the ball over, but with less than a minute to go turned it over to Millwood, but they could not make it past the Avalanche 30-yard line as the Avalanche managed to hang on for the 28-27 win.

Avon View will try to increase their standing to 3-1 on Sunday, Oct. 1 at 1:00 p.m. when they take on J.H. Gillis High from Antigonish.